TNA, Round 1 (Semi-Finals): La Union and Union take 1-0 lead - by Eurobasket NewsSan Mart.C. - La Union 81-86La Union celebrated in the first game of the play-off semifinals thanks to Ariel Pau (191-F-84), who nailed 27 points in 29 minutes. Pablo Fernandez (197-G/F-82) was second scorer of the team with 12 pts. Alex Carcamo responded with 18 points in loss.

Union - Ciclista 68-491-0 for Union. The box-score will be available soon.

Liga A, Round 2 (Semi-Finals): 2-0 for Atenas and Penarol - by Eurobasket NewsAtenas - Sionista 78-672-0 for the regular season champion. Andre Laws (186-G-80, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: San Diego), Juan Locatelli and Juan Pablo Figueroa came up with 11 points each. On the other side, Sionista got 15 points from Juan Pablo Cantero and the same number from Chuck Robinson.

Rytas is the first finalist - by Janar FilippovThe winner of the SEB BBL regular season, Lietuvos Rytas had to strain every nerve to take the victory in a must-win semifinal against ASK Riga and an obligatory ticket to the SEB BBL Final game.

Although Rytas led for almost whole game (except the first three minutes only) they could never take it lightly because ASK put up a really good performance. Rytas won 85:76 (50:33) but as winners' head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis said: 'You may think that 9 points is a clear victory but it was really, really tough.'

Rytas had a nearly perfect shooting percentage in the first half. They made 12 of their first 15 two-point attempts whereas ASK started the game with 1/8 field goals made and were 4/13 in the 1st quarter.

Milko Bjelica (207-C-84) made his best game in SEB BBL so far, scoring 19 points with 7/7 two-point shooting. Marijonas Petravicius and Arturas Jomantas added 12 points, Petravicius also 8 rebounds. Altogether, 11 Rytas players appeared on the scoresheet after the first half, already. For ASK Riga, Ernests Kalve made his career-high 22 points and added 9 rebounds. Marius Runkauskas scored 16 and Andrius Mazutis 15 as only 6 ASK players scored today.

The lead changed only twice as ASK had their noses ahead for the last time on the 4th minute of the game - 5:3 after a three-pointer by Aigars Vitols. During the first 4 minutes, both teams were a bit too nervous, combining only 3/13 FG.

In the 5th minute, Lithuanian team went ahead 7:5 after second consecutive basket by Petravicius. The lead was narrow for a while as Vitols and Ernests Kalve kept ASK going but a 9:0 (incl. 6 points by Bjelica) run made it 22:10. Only Vitols and Kalve scored for ASK in 1st quarter.

The 2nd quarter belonged to Rytas as well. The teams exchanged baskets, making 7 successful attacks in a row but Rytas took the best of it as Lukauskis made two straight three-pointers, one together with a foul to make it 37:23. Petravicius was too good to handle - his 4th basket from 4 shots - made it 39:23 and Jomantas stretched the gap to 18. The first half ended with a halftime buzzer-beater by Babrauskas - 50:33.

ASK started the 2nd half with a 6:0 run and cut the deficit to 11 points. Within a single minute, two layups by Jomantas and a three-pointer by Sinica put Rytas ahead by 18, again. But ASK fought exceptionally well - Mazutis, Kalve, Vitols and Runkauskas made four (!!) three-pointers in only two minutes. Vitols added a jumper to cut the gap to a mere 7 points - 60:53. As Rimas Kurtinaitis later admitted, those were quite nervous minutes. 'In the beginning of the game, it seemed that ASK had only one thing in mind - Rytas, oh, they won the European cup, they are too strong - but in the 2nd half, they realized that we are exactly the same kind of humans and started playing better and better.'

But the Lithuanian train could not be stopped. Another 7:0 run by Rytas made it 67:53 and with a quarter to play, it was 69:56.

At the beginning of the 4th, Kalve made his 4th foul but the game stayed hot. ASK started coming closer again and Zavackas helped the Latvian team by making an unsportsmanlike foul. ASK managed to cut the gap to only 8 points with 1:40 left but then it was Chuck Eidson who calmly dropped a jumper to make it plus ten and secure the victory.

The head coach of ASK, Donaldas Kairys, seemed a bit sad at the press conference, saying that there was two different games today - the first half and the second one. 'Unfortunately, we let them too far in the first half but I am still very satisfied with our effort.' Kalve added that 'the whole team played well in the 2nd half. I had no intention to take the leadership.'

Bjelica was even more modest, commenting his individual 19 points. 'We never aim for high individual score. Someone scores 20 points in one game, some other in another game. We won the game and that's all that matters.'

*****************************************************

BELGIUM

Antwerp Transfer News - by Peter BuyseThe Antwerp Diamond Giants have added American forward Durell Vinson (201-F-85, college: Wagner) to their roster for the remainder of the season.Till recently Vinson played in the top Finish league for KTP Basket Kotka. In 47 games he averaged 14.9 ppg and 9.1 rpg.He came to Finland after a 4 year college career at Wagner. In his senior year he averaged 11.5 rpg which ranked him 4th in NCAA Div 1. He also scored 13.6 ppg during the 2007-08 season at Wagner earning him all NEC 1st team honors.

Levski - Sliven 101-58Easy one for Levski, who jumped to 17-6 record (second place). Marcus Hall (185-G-85, college: Colorado) led the scorers today with 18 points. Petroslav Zafirov had 14 in the loosing squad. His Sliven stays winless after 22 games.

*****************************************************

CHILE

Dimayor friday night results - by Cristian QuirogaLast night started to play the 3th round of Dimayor league. In Los Andes, champion Liceo Mixto beated to last season runner up Boston College 96-80 introducing its new argentinean center Fernando Gutman. In Llanquihue, host Provincial Llanquihue coached by Cipriano Nunez defeat to Universidad de Los Lagos 79-68 with an outstanding performance of Leonel Mendez (184-G-75) (27 points). In the last game of the night Provincial Osorno obtained his first victory of season defeating to Deportes Castro 75-62, Antoine Tisby (203-C-83, agency: 540 Sports, college: S.Carolina) was again the key of Daniel Allende team putting 29 points in the scoreboard.

Group 1-8

Zadar - KK Zagreb 76-70Zadar was better than Zagreb handing it the first defeat in domestic championship. Both teams now have 7-1 record (same as Cibona). Damir Rancic (197-G-83) once again was on fire for the reigning champion netting 26 points (7 triples). Krunislav Simon had 15 points and 8 boards in Zagreb.

Cibona - Dubrovnik 115-79Cibona had couple of players in a game mood today. Marin Rozic (201-F-83) came up with 22 pts and 9 rebounds, Earl Calloway also scored 22 pts, but with 7 assists, while Jared Homan nailed 21 points and grabbed 10 boards. Maro Lucic responded with 19 pts in defeat. Cibona joined Zagreb and Zadar with 7-1 record.

Svjetlost - Sibenka 102-90First win for Svjetlost in the second stage and at the same time 7th loss for Sibenka. Krunoslav Rimac (195-G-84) and Nenad Delic combined 53 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in the winning squad. Ivan Mimica was on fire for the guests - 35 pts (also had 9 rebs and 6 as).

Zabok - Borik 64-595-5 for Zabok (3rd place) and 4-6 for the last ranked Borik (same as Trogir). Robert Lez (200-F-79) led the hosts with 15, while Ive Ivanov and Domagoj Basic netted 14 pts each. Marino Jurijevic had 12 pts for the guests.

Dubrava - Alkar Sinj 74-64Dubrava ended the Play-Out on top together with Kvarner (6-4). Tomislav Culjak (204-F/C-80) was the most important player in this victory as he collected 24 points and 5 rebounds. Nikola Gaurina and Josip Blajic scored 15 pts each for Alkar (5-5, same as Zabok).

In our personal opinion, Keravnos was not a championship team this year mainly because was not built that way. It struggled a lot, especially in the 1st round and in general, it paid for serious mistakes made by Vasilis Frankias (team's coach).

At the 1st round it won 5 games (Apollon, AEL, Apoel, Omonoia, AEK) by one point, two of those in overtime. It could have easily lost a few of those games. It was clearly far behind last year when it swiped all games in its home court.

Kindly, we wish to state that the championship was lost, not because of the referees, nor because of bad luck, or eurobasket reporters (who by the way have been criticized a lot this year for just doing their job), and not because of anyone else, but because of mistakes taken place.

Mistakes

1) The team has been without a CENTER PLAYER all year long. Not a bad idea to play only with power forwards (as the original idea was), but it is only good for Panathinaikos, Olymbiakos or the NBA; certainly not for Keravnos. We have noted this many times. Keravnos has never won a championship without a quality center on the team.

When the team decided to land a center on the team, it was too late, obviously because at that time of the year it is too difficult to spot a dominant center player.

The end result was that all year long Keravnos could no beat APOEL with Jo Jo Garcia in the team. In our opinion, Garcia has been the best Center in the league.

2) A winning team was let to be destroyed (lost Anastasiades, Randojevic, Smith). What were the chances of replacing all three of them with the same calliber players?

3) With a higher budget than all other teams (except AEL), the team kept changing players all year long and besides Greer, was not able to land another quality player. This year it has probably changed more players than all the other teams together (note: this has been going on during the last 3 years).

4) In a desperate move, Patrick Lee (gone through a major injury and has not played for 10 months) was asked to return just to go through trials and see whether he was in a position to play. This move communicated how desperate the team was of quality players as well as the difficulty in landing such players.

5) The team lost the National Team's Captain, George Anastasiades to APOEL, allowing Apoel to build a psychological advantage.

Bottom line? The team has lost the Super Cup and Cup, was humiliated at the finals and was crushed in Europe.

KORISLIIGA: YMCA Lahti made the semi-finals - by Rauno HurmalainenKorisliiga, Quarter-finals, Game # 4: Top League 'Final 4 Teams' are clear now. The fourth Team in the semi-finals is YMCA Lahti after succeeding to win at Uusikaupunki vs Korihait in the TV-game today: 64-74 (36-30). Ray Nixon (203-F-84, agency: Court Side, college: Wisconsin) led YMCA Lahti with 24 pts. Jason Conley added 17 pts and grabbed 10 rbs. Vesa Makalainen, who will play in Sweden next season, had also a double-double 16/11. Kurtis Rice scored also in double digits (12). Jussi Kumpulainen led Korihait with 19 pts and 15 rbs. Alain Laroche nailed 17 pts and Mark Zoller 13 pts. The semi-finals will start on April 29. Regular season winner Kataja (Joensuu) will meet Pyrinto (Tampere) and Honka (Espoo) will play vs YMCA Lahti.

INTERNATIONAL: Pekka Salminen The Coach of The Year - by Rauno HurmalainenSolna Vikings Head Coach Pekka Salminen , 45, has been named The Coach of the Year 2009 in Sweden. Salminen is coaching Solna Vikings the sixth season. Salminen has led his team twice (2002-03, 2007-08) to Swedish Championship. This season Salminen and Solna Vikings are in the finals again. Solna's opponent in the finals is Sundsvall and after game # 4 the finalists are tied 2-2. Solna Viking Finnish NT G Juha Sten (191-G-83, agency: Rasmussen Services) has been chosen the best defender in the top league in Sweden.

Take American G Aubrey Conerly (183-G-83, college: Jacksonville) on the roster and he will help you from I-division to Top League (Korisliiga). FoKoPo (Forssa) did this way a year ago and Conerly was leading FoKoPo from I-division to Korisliiga. Vilpas (Salo) signed with Conerly last summer and tonight Conerly was the hero hitting 9/10 FTs during the last 2:44 minutes and helping Vilpas to win vs Team Componenta (Karkkila) 74-79 (34-41). Quarters: 14-28, 20-13, 24-16, 16-22.Vilpas and TC met each other three times in five days and there were no home victories in these contests. Vilpas was shooting better tonight and earnedin making the come back to Top level. Vilpas has played nine seasons on top level (1996-2005) earlier, but the last four seasons in the I-division. Team'sGerman Head Coach Philip Dejworek said after the game: 'I'm proud having the chance to coach this team'!

Paris-Levall. - St.Quentin 80-72Powerful Paris-Levallois did not have any troubles to beat Saint-Quentin remaining on top of Pro B with 24-6 record. Nigel Wyatte (204-F/C-81, agency: Court Side, college: Wagner) was a key player in this win collecting 17 points and 10 rebounds. Corey Albano nailed 21 pts in the loosing squad.

Cholet eked out a dramatic win over Triumph to enter the EuroChallenge Final. Claude Marquis (204-F/C-80) came up with 20 points and 7 boards to lead the French team to the victory. Vincent Vincent Grier (195-G/F-83, college: Minnesota), Nando de Colo and Kevin Braswell (188-G-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Georgetown) scored 5 points in the dying seconds to ensure a tough success for Cholet. Kevin Braswell netted 19 points for the French outfit. Ernest Bremer (196-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: St.Bonaventure) poured in 20 points for Triumph. Ognjen Askrabic (207-C/F-79) had 13 points and 7 boards in the losing case.The first Semifinal game brought a lot of interest and honestly both teams deserved a Final. The Russian team won the opening quarter 23-19 as Vyaltsev nailed three with a buzzer. The French team played a bit better in the second period and reduce the gap to 41:43 as De Colom sent the teams to the lockers. Even though Cholet won the third frame 18-12, the teams showed a real thriller in the last quarter. Triumph's Fedor Dmitriev connected from three-point land with to knot the contest at 74:74. Kevin Braswell made both for a four-point lead and Cholet held on for the victory. Cholet will face Bologna team in the Final of Eurochallenge that lived up to the expectations of the fans that gathered to support the team holding off AEL in the second semifinal matchup of the day. Sharrod Ford notched 18 points and 13 boards to lead Bologna. Earl Boykins had 15 points as the Italian team reached the title decider. Goran Nikolic responded with 15 points for AEL. Haris Mujezinovic and Quincy Taylor added 13 points each in the loss.

Nancy - Le Mans 65-6218th win of the season for Nancy, who got the most from Ricardo Greer 18 pts and 5 assists. Victor Samnick (203-F-79, college: Georgetown) had 13 pts and 9 boards, while Lamayne Wilson added 12 points. Alain Koffi registered double-double in loss, 14 pts and 10 rebs. As a reminder, both teams had 17-9 before this game.

USC Heidelberg Go Into Summer Vacation Taking Apart TV Langen 94-73 In PRO A Play - by Miles Schmidt-ScheuberThe TV Langen Giraffes were attacked all night long and were unable to defend themselves with their hooves as USC Heidelberg separated them from getting too cozy with the basket and finishing the season with a 94-73 win. TV Langen were without top players American Kyle Jeffers (206-C-85, agency: Rasmussen Services, college: Oregon St.) and German Robin Benzing (208-F-89) who had to sit out due to injury. 'We tried to play together, but without Jeffers and Benzing we were missing about 40 points and 20 rebounds,' expressed Langen guard Hendrik Feist (192-G/F-83, college: Stony Brook). Langen finished the season a bit unlucky as Langen could of won more games had certain circumstances been different. 'We have not been playing our best ball the last weeks. We had many injuries and had problems winning games. We had different lineups the last weeks and we suffered tough loses', stressed Langen American Brandon Chappell (183-G-83, college: Lamar). USC Heidelberg started off the 2008-2009 season cold and were stranded near the bottom of the PRO A standings, but came to life in 2009. 'It is like a train going up a hill. It takes a while to get up the hill. It took as a bit longer to get going, but we got stronger and peaked near the end of the season', said Heidelberg guard Japhet McNeil (183-G-85, college: Bridgeport). Heidelberg played a strong game for 40 minutes and were never in danger of losing. 'We have been playing good ball for 6-7 weeks and wanted to finish the season strong. We moved the ball well, got confused with the zone in the first half, but in the second half everything worked for us on offense', stated Heidelberg guard Jibril Hodges (188-G-84, college: Long Beach St.). USC Heidelberg finished the season in 11th place with a record of 11-18 while TV Langen ended at 14th place with a record of 10-20.

The game started off with a slow tempo, but USC Heidelberg got the lead quickly as TV Langen was only able to tie the game once at 2-2 and would never come even again or lead in the game. USC Heidelberg started on a 7-2 run as they scored inside twice with Ben Beran (201-F, college: S.Dakota St.) and Sebastian Adeberg (198-F-84). TV Langen was quickly behind and were simply too lax on offense as they were missing too many shots. USC Heidelberg found their groove quickly and soon had the 15-6 lead. After a Mcneil steal, he led the Heidelberg 2-0 attack with Hodges on his left and instead of finishing himself fed Hodges for the thunderous one handed dunk showing that Anmerican ballers can be unselfish. Adeberg followed with a fade away jumper and Beran with a catch and pop fade away jumper from the wing. Langen fans were slowly wondering if Beran was the long lost brother of Dirk Nowitzki (211-F-78), because not only did he have the long blond hair but also had a sense of making the impossible shots.

'Our defense as a whole was not good, but Heidelberg made many in your face shots. Hodges made one over me and he couldnt believe he made it either as we were talking after the basket', added Langen guard Brandon Chappell. Talented Langen guard Brandon Chappell kept his team in the game as he scored on the penetration and with a mid distance jumper cutting the Heidelberg lead to 17-10. Heidelberg kept the momentum closing the first quarter on a 7-4 run. Mcneil fired a bullet pass to Hodges underneath as both were showing a special trust in each other like Jordan and Pippen showed back in the 90s with the Chicago Bulls. Hodges closed out the first quarter with a massive rainbow shot that looked like he was trying to find the Sears tower in Chicago the same way his father Craig Hodges (188-G-60, college: Long Beach St.) did 18 years ago with the Chicago Bulls. Maybe Craig Hodges was hiding in the Georg Sehring Halle giving his son moral support, but there were no sightings of the two time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls. USC Heidelberg led 24-14 after ten minutes. Heidelberg was shooting 59% from the field and TV Langen only 31%. Langen was 0/4 from three point range and Heidelberg was shooting 33%. The rebounds and turnovers were not a factor yet as both teams were almost even.

TV Langen got a good start in the second quarter going on a 5-0 run to cut the Heidelberg lead to 24-19. Chappell nailed a three pointer and Ruben Spoden (202-F-89) a lay in off a no look pass from Hendrik Feist. However TV Langen was not consistent enough on offense to extend the run and left too many Heidelberg shooters open as Hodges hit a three pointer and Heidelberg led 30-19. Now came the turning point in the game as USC Heidelberg went on a 11-0 run to lead 41-21. Hodges made a three pointer, followed by a Sebastian Dietz (189-G-89) three pointer, an Adeberg reverse layup and a Oliver Komarek (208-C/F-86) three pointer as he was falling backwards. TV Langen was not aggressive on defense and also missed two free throws by Ruben Spoden. USC Heidelberg kept the big lead as TV Langen continued to miss hurried shots instead of slowing up the offense and starting the set play. Mcneil made a mid distance jumper just shouting for some defense to agitate him, because he was all alone making the hoop. TV Langen closed out the second quarter with a Jeremy Muculloch lay in as Chappell preformed some no look magic feeding the Canadian for two points. USC Heidelberg led at halftime 46-32. USC Heidelberg was shooting 50% from the field and 38% from the parking lot while TV Langen was shooting a miserable 35% from the field and 11% from three point land. TV Langen had the rebound edge at 20-17 but had already 12 turnovers while USC Heidelberg had only 8.

Even though TV Langen started the third qaurter with a lack of concentration as Hodges made a steal, they then found their rhythm fast going on a 8-2 run to cut the USC Heidelberg lead to 48-40. Brandon Chappell drove hard to the hoop finishing with his left hand and then German Sebastian Barth (192-G-85) proved he has the shooting touch as he sunk two consecutive three pointers. A big difference on this night was the calmness of USC Heidelberg that didnt let this small TV Langen run disturb their offense as they struck back with a 15-1 run signalling that if this team had played a few months more, they might of made some noise in the PRO A. TV Langen continued to be very erratic on offense giving USC Heidelberg the beautiful invitation of taking such a big run. USC Heidelberg was very aggressive on the boards securing offensive rebounds. Adeberg made two hoops down low. Hodges then made a slick runner from the wing using the backboard for support. Komarek made a three pointer and then a goaltending call gave USC Heidelberg two more points.

TV Langen then were hit by two technical fouls and four free throws by Hodges. USC Heidelberg led 63-41 and even though the fans were seeing much scoring, the game tended to drag on more into the warm evening. TV Langen continued to be weak missing two more free throws and letting USC Heidelberg do what they wanted to on offense letting them finish the third quarter with a 11-6 run. Mcneil made an open three pointer, Hodges a mid distance jumper, Jens Hirschberg (198-F-88) a difficult three pointer from the wing and Hodges a three pointer. After 30 minutes, USC Heidelberg had the commanding 74-47 lead and some TV Langen fans may have been content of calling the game there. USC Heidelberg continued to show case a shooting clinic with 52% form the field and 42% from three point land. TV Langen were still struggling averaging 34% from the field and 22% from outside. TV Langen had the rebound advantage at 29-25. USC Heidelberg had more discipline offering only 10 turnovers while TV Langen had 17.

USC Heidelberg American Ben Beran started the fourth quarter with an uncontested three pointer showing how at home they were nailing three pointers in the enemy territory of Langen left and right the same way Bayern Munichs forward Luca Toni would if his favourite Pizzeria was next to the playing field in Wolfsburg. TV Langen tried fighting back, but the lead was simply too big to pray for miracles in a meaningless game on the last day of the PRO A season. USC Heidelberg rested Japhet McNeil and Jibril Hodges and let some of the young guys contribute and Beran and Adeberg continued to score as well. Adeberg made a tip in after an offensive rebound which was followed by two Beran tip ins. USC Heidelberg led 85-55. After young German Niko Anders (184-G-83) made a lay in off a Kai Barth (188-G-89) no look pass, USC Heidelberg led 88-60. With four minutes remaining, German Basketball witnessed a rarity that is not often seen as ten German players were on the court. 'That was awesome that only Germans were on the court', said American Japhet McNeil. 'I didnt even notice that all were Germans. We showed in that phase what Germans are capable of doing. We should try that more often just with Germans', joked TV Langen guard Hendrik Feist. The German dominance may of secretly sparked TV Langen as they closed out the game with a 10-0 run. Nico Anders started the season ending offensive spurt securing an offensive rebound and lay in, Feist followed with a three pointer from the wing, Kai Barth another three pointer and Ruben Spoden with a lay in. 'We played no defense tonight', stressed Langen guard Hendrik Feist.

USC Heidelberg was led by American Jibril Hodges with 24 points. 'I have been shooting the three pointer a lot better in the last months. I have been knocking down my shot and just doing what my dad always taught me to do',added Jibril Hodges. American Ben Beran added 20 points and six rebounds. German Sebastain Adeberg scored 16 points and grabbed nine assists. German A-2 National player Oliver Komarek chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds. TV Langen was led by American Brandon Chappell with 16 points and six assists. German Kai Barth added 13 points. German Marco Voller chipped in with 11 points and 11 rebounds. German Hendrik Feist scored ten points.

USC Heidelberg shot 49% from the field and 39% from three point land while TV Langen shot 40% from the field and 32% from the parking lot. TV Langen dominated the rebounds 44-32, but allowed USC Heidelberg to get many easy hoops inside as they lost the points in the paint 38-30. TV Langen also didnt help their cause with 20 turnovers. 'The best thing about this game was that young Germans could find some added playing time', said Langen guard Brandon Chappell.

Even though USC Heidelberg did not play much of a factor in the PRO A this season, the fans got a dose of the American duo of Jibril Hodges and Japhet McNeil, who had strong seasons. Hodges finished the season averaging 18,5ppg, 2,6rpg and 2,7apg, while Japhet McNeil averaged 15,2ppg, 3,3rpg and 7,8apg. Both guys talked about each other as if they were brothers. 'Jibril was awesome. He made my life so much easier. I told him that he was the best shooting guard that I have ever played with', said Japhet McNeil. Hodges surely could of not had such strong stats had Mcneil not been firing him the ball all over the court. 'Japhet helped me a lot too by making passes to places where I would be successful', stressed Jibril Hodges. The question remains where will these two talented guys be playing next season? Mcneil is a smart playmaker that could easily play in the BBL, while Hodges could give BBL teams support with his feared outside shot. 'I am going home to New York now and I will rest and start to work out soon. I will keep my options open, but I continue to dream of playing at the highest level', warned Japhet McNeil. 'I will go home and take a week off. Then I will hit the gym and continue to work on my game. Even though I am a shooting guard, I prefer the point guard position, but I do what coach tells me. I really like Germany and would like to keep playing here', said Jibril Hodges.

With another PRO A season completed, players were not shy to talk about the development of young German players this season. 'I like Marco Vollers development. He has a big future. You cant forget that he has only been playing Basketball for a short time. He is very athletic for his size, but needs to work on his game understanding. Ruben Spoden also has potential. He showed that he can play in Karlsruhe scoring 17 points', stressed Langen guard Hendrik Feist. Basketball isnt only about being American, because even the Yanks were quick to point out how Germans have improved in the PRO A. 'Oliver Komarek is a great leader. The big man helped us a lot this season. Danilo Barthel (205-F-91) is another guy that has a lot of potential. I like how the Germans like to work hard', stressed Heidelberg guard Japhet McNeil. Jibril Hodges has been following the current situation about how so many people are worried about the future of German Basketball. 'There is a lot of young fresh talent in Germany. It is totally underrated and I think there is a future in German Basketball. Guys like Robin Benzing, Johannes Lischka (203-F/C-87, agency: Court Side), Nikita Khartchenkov (201-F-87) and Oliver Komarek are big talents', warned Heidelberg American Jibril Hodges. Good American guards also have been a trend in the PRO A this season. 'Teams like MBC and Bayreuth have great guards, but you can take each team in the PRO A and find two guards who are averaging 15 points per game. The best American that I played against this season was Brandon Watkins (182-G-81, college: Penn St.). He is by far the best one on one player in the PRO A', added TV Langen guard Brandon Chappell. The PRO A resumes play in October 2009.

Eredivisie Round: 1 (Quarter-Finals) - by Eurobasket NewsWest-Brabant - M.Magix 76-70In Bergen-op-Zoom, West-Brabant Giants also came one step closer to advancing in the FEB playoffs with a 76-70 win over Matrixx Magixx. It was a game in which neither team shot the ball well. West-Brabant struggled early in the game, finding themselves down 24-15 at the end of the 1st quarter, but a strong 3rd quarter by the Giants (29-13 difference) gave them the shot in the arm needed to seize the tempo of the game, which they refused to relinquish. Arvin Slagter (190-G-85) led all scorers with 22 pts. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Sanders Jackson

Amsterdam - ZZ Leiden 73-67In the Sporthallen-Zuid #1 seeded Eclipse Jet/MyGuide began in defense of their FEB title with a 73-67 win over #8 seeded ZZ Leiden. Eclipse Jet/MyGuide managed to keep ZZ at arm's length throughout the game, with good field goal shooting and the strong inside play of two-time FEB MVP Peter Van Paassen (210-C/F-78, agency: Court Side, college: St.Bonaventure), who scored a game-high 22 pts. and had 9 rebounds. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Sanders Jackson

Eiff.Towers - Upstairs Weert 79-70In the Maaspoort, 2009 Dutch Cup champion started on their quest for a return to the FEB finals with a 79-70 win over southern rivals Upstairs Weert. Eiffel held a comfortable margin heading into the start of the 4th quarter (65-46), but the Limburgers managed to make a 16-6 run with 4 minutes remaining to cut Eiffel's lead to 71-62 before Eiffel put out the fire with an 8-2 run of its own to keep Upstairs at arm's length. Eiffel sharpshooter Kees Akerboom (200-F-83, agency: Court Side) led Eiffel with 20 pts., including 6 of 8 from the three-point line. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Sanders Jackson

Hanzev.Cpt - Rotterdam 75-71In the Martiniplaza, Hanzevast Capitals shook off the effects of a strong fullcourt press by Rotterdam Challengers, finally getting it together in the 3rd quarter with a strong effort and winning Game #1 75-71. Hanzevast had a strong 3rd quarter, outscoring the Rotterdammers by a 22-10 margin and led by as much as 14 pts., before the Rotterdammers made a strong push in the end. Torey Thomas (180-G-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Holy Cross) had a strong game for Hanzevast, leading all scorers with 26 pts. and also had 8 rebounds. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Sanders Jackson

To be in the semi final every team will have to win two times,the enemy team.The second round of the playoff will be in this Sunday.

*****************************************************

ITALY

Virtus advances to EuroChallenge Final - by Gianni PascucciAfter that French team Cholet upset 81-78 higher ranked Triumph Lyubertsy in the first semifinal, almost all the observers were expecting a strong start from Cyprian team AEL in the second semifinal of the EuroChallenge Final Four yesterday night in Bologna. And it happened. With a very good shooting accuracy and a good defense on the pick and roll, Proteas AEL Limassol managed to lead in the score for some time of the 1st quarter, ended 19-16 for Virtus BolognaFiere only thanks to a run of the home team in the last moments. Limassol went on with its game plan, keeping the contact with Virtus. At halftime, the score was 39-34 for the home team, that was a little disappointing. But the Virtus BolognaFiere coming out from the locker room was a different team: finally, they managed to play a decent defense, and this ignited some of the transition game beloved by the Bologna fans, ending with thounderous slash. The third quarter ended 62-44, and at that time non one was pointing on AEL anymore. The final score was 83-69 for Virtus, that will meet Cholet in the Final game of tomorrow afternoon, and Sharrod Ford (206-F-82, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Clemson) was the game MVP, with 18 points and 13 rebs. Keith Langford (193-G/F-83, college: Kansas) added 13 pts and 5 rebs and was the main factor in the decisive rush of the third quarter. Earl Boykins (168-G-76, college: E.Michigan) scored 15 points, but was a little in trouble against the veterans of Limassol. The best at the losing side were Goran Nikolic (205-C-76, agency: Beo Basket), with 15 pts and 8 rebs, but all the Cypriot team goes out from the competition head-high.

The BJ League playoffs are right around the corner and the eight qualifying teams have now been lined up to start the countdown in crowning a champion.The Shiga Lakestars, which was fighting for the fourth and final playoff spot in the western conference lost to the Ryukyu Golden Kings lastnight, allowing the Rizing Fukuoka to secure the coveted spot.

Fukuoka, the second year team which made the playoffs last year in its expansion season had an up-and-down season, but perservered to gain a spot in the 8-team playoff. Until this past weekend, seven spots were secured and most teams had been fighting for seeding spots.

The Tokyo Apache defeated the Saitama Broncos at Yoyogi to ensure that it hosts the first round at home. Ryukyu Golden Kings had secured the best record in the league to not only host its first playoff game, but also own the #1 seed for the postseason. Hamamatsu Phoenix, the favorite, had struggled in the beginning of the season, but re-established itself as the beast from the east as they signed long and athletic players--Marcus Morrison, Lavon Jordan, and Stan Oscitti-- to change the make-up of its team.

The Osaka Evessa, the three-time champions, have struggled to find its way and is fighting for the 2nd seed in the west. It remains to be seen if they will be able to capture its fourth straight title this season as they struggled to find the right players and chemistry and defend its crown.

Contern stopped Etzella's 5 game winning streak avenging a 20 point loss back on March 27th. With the win, Contern takes sole posession of first place in the DBBL title chase. With a road win in Steinsel against Amicale Steinsel in their final campaign today, Contern can gain the important home court advantage. Etzella led 2-6 in the beginning of the game. It was their only lead. contern blew out Etzella the rest of the way. Up twelve going into the 4th period, Contern poured it on heavy, completely annihilating Etzella 30-14 for the 29 point victory. Brandon Gary (202-F-83, agency: Passing Lane, college: Hutchinson CC) paced the winners with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocked shots. Eric Jeitz was next with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Ken Diederich and Gilles Becker added 18 points each. Becker also dished for 7 assists. Clearly, this was the best Contern has played all season long and they seem to be peaking at the right moment. Nelson DelGado struggled in the firt half and Marcus Kennedy (193-F-84, college: Montevallo) in the second half. Kennedy , however finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds. DelGado score only 14 points, but took 9 rebounds and handed out 8 assists. Tim Giver was steady throughout with 15 points. Cedric Schroeder was held to only 2 points and Jairo DelGado 8. Etzella has a chance tonight to knock Sparta out of the top 4.

Remich, LuxembourgMusel Pikes dealt a huge blow to S parta by slipping past them by 3 points last Sunday afternoon in Remich. In a very close game, Musel Pikes showed early controlwinning the first quarter by 7 points. This would prove to be enough of a lead to obtain a victory as the rest of the game was very, very close. Sparta won the 2nd quarter by 2 points and the 3rd quarter by 2 points. The final period was a solid 12-12 tie. Musel Pikes now has won 3 in a row and appear to be the hottest team in the DBBL for now. Samy Picard led in scoring again with 30 points. Picard added 8 rebounds, 2 blocked shots, and 2 assists. Guy Schmit scored big as well with 22 points while dropping 5 assists. Import player Chris Braier (195-F-84, college: Lawrence) had a great game again with a 17 point 13 rebound double-double while holding Larrie Smith (195-F-75, college: Tennessee Tech) to only 6 points in the second half. Speaking of Smith, Larrie did lead Sparta in scoring as usual with 29 points but took an unusually low number of rebounds with 6 according to the FLBB stats. Pit Hoffmann had a huge double-double with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Julian Hublart scored 10. Sparta played without captain and floor leader Christian Wulff.

T71 has Frank Muller and Tom Schumacher back for the the remainder ofthe playoffs. This could be bad news for the other DBBL teams. The recently crowned 2009 Cup Champions have come on strong. With Tom Schumacher's 25 point, 5 assists leading the way, the T71 squad has now another scorer and a defender rebounder in Frank Muller to give depth needed for a strong finish. Muller grabbed 14 rebounds! Sharing the scoring lead with Schumacher was Martin Rajniak also with 25 points. Getting lots of help now, Tim Whitworth (198-G/F-81, agency: Court Side, college: Drexel) doesn't have to focus so much on scoring and can do other things. Whitworth fishished with 20 points. Amicale, who will not be in the final 4 are playing now for pride only. Travis DePree (201-F/C, college: Albion) stepped it up with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Christopher Jones pitched in 15 points and Sam Ney 13. Christian Schartz, who seems to be in a bit of a slump was held to 2 points but added 5 assists. T71 shot 63% from the field and 43 % from the 3 point line and dominated the war on the glass by a 35-23 margin. Amicale struggled from the three point line and the three point line where they went 4/16 and 10/17. It was a reallly tight match until T71 went on a huge 4th quarter run leading by as many as 13 points near the end.

76ers and Rockets grab 2-1 lead - by Eurobasket NewsThe underdog Philadelphia 76ers stunned the Orlando Magic when a last-second shot gave them a 96-94 victory and a lead in their playoff series on Friday.

Thaddeus Young (6'8''-F-88, college: Georgia Tech) maneuvered around the league's top defensive player Dwight Howard (6'10''-F-85) for a layup with two seconds left to lift the 76ers to a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven playoff.

The heavily favored Magic were also burned late in Game One when Philadelphia guard Andre Iguodala knocked down a jumper in the final seconds.

'They were expecting me to get the ball like I did in Game One, and Thaddeus did a great job of getting open,' Iguodala told reporters after finishing with a team-high 29 points.

'That's a new play we put in, and every option has worked every time we've run it.'

Howard had a monster game for Orlando with 36 points and 11 rebounds as well as making two game-tying free throws with six seconds left.

Andre Miller (6'3''-G-76, college: Utah) added 24 and nine rebounds for the 76ers, who led by as much as 17 before the Magic embarked on an 18-4 run to pull within 78-75 late in the third quarter. Game Four is on Sunday in Orlando.

West showdown

In the West, the Houston Rockets held off a late rally from the Portland Trail Blazers and captured an 86-83 win to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Rockets got 19 points from Luis Scola (6'9''-F/C-80) and 16 from Shane Battier en route to the home win.

The Blazers trailed by 11 midway through the final quarter but a trio of three-pointers in the final 23 seconds got them close and they were down only 81-80 with 16 seconds to go.

'That's a testament to Portland, they played with a lot of heart,' Battier told reporters. 'This game wasn't over until the clock hit zero.'

Portland All-Star guard Brandon Roy (6'6''-G-84, college: Washington) was held to 19 points, a game after dropping 42 in a Blazers' win. Game Four is on Sunday in Houston.

Courtesy of www.abs-cbnnews.com

LeBron lifts Cavs to 3-0 series lead over Pistons - by Eurobasket NewsLeBron James (6'8''-F-84) huffed and puffed about being pushed and shoved by the Detroit Pistons.

Then, he stopped lobbying for help from the officials and blew the Pistons down - and almost out of the playoffs.

James scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 79-68 victory Friday night over Detroit and a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.

Once he decided to say, 'Hey, Im not getting calls. Im going to will this team to a win, our whole team changed, Cavs coach Michael Brown said. Watching him flip that switch, it was very exciting.

I just get a rush thinking about it.

The Pistons, whose collective heart was questioned by one of their players, played hard for three-plus quarters before being rendered helpless by James.

He had an alley-oop slam midway through the fourth quarter during an 18-2 run that started after the sixth tie of the game.

The Pistons will host Game 4 on Sunday, needing a surprising showing to extend the series.

Detroit has advanced to at least the Eastern Conference finals the previous six seasonsthe longest such streak in the NBA since the Los Angeles Lakers run two decades agobut now its an eighth-seeded team with virtually no chance to survive the first round.

Curry said before the game the Pistons needed both Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince to play well to have a chance to win, and neither did.

The 34-year-old Wallace scored just five points, looking past his prime, banged up and uninterested. Prince scored seven points in the first quarter and was held scoreless the rest of the game, laboring with a sore back.

Tay is not going to say anything about his back, Curry said. But I could tell as the game went on he wasnt moving as well.

Hamilton had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Rodney Stuckey contributed 12 points and five assists.

Antonio McDyess, who had eight points and eight rebounds, lamented the fact that his team went through the motions when it lost the first two games of the series on the road by an average of 15 points.

Wallace and McDyess declined comment after the game.

The Pistons played with pride early, scoring the first eight points and refusing to go away when they fell behind by nine in the first half.

Detroit took turns with the lead in an ugly third quarterscoring 16 points and giving up ninebut had no answer when James chose to take over the game in the fourth quarter.

I just wanted to turn up the aggression in the fourth quarter, he said.

James final points in the first half came on a sequence that made the Cavs laugh and the Pistons pout.

Ilgauskas got to a loose ball near Detroits free-throw line. The Pistons let him dribble up the court and make a jump pass in the lane to James as if the 7-foot-3, 260-pound center was nimble.

The Pistons also allowed Smith to perform like the player who merited being the No. 1 pick of the 1995 NBA draft.

Smith, whose previous career playoff high was 17 points, has scored 13 or more in a playoff game seven timessix against Detroit.

So, what is it about the Pistons? James asked Smith when the fact was relayed to them.

Smith signed with the Cavs last month after getting bought out his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was a big signing, especially tonight, Cavs general manager Danny Ferry said. Hes exactly what we needed.

Anwil - Asec.Prokom 88-76Anwil reduced to 1-2 in the Semifinal series over Prokom after 88:76 win in Game 3. Paul Miller (208-C/F-82, college: Wichita St.) top-scored for the winners with 26 points, while Brkic Marko posted 17. Woods Qyntel finished the night with 21 points in the losing effort.

*****************************************************

PUERTO RICO

Crabbers survive late run by Criollos - by Luis RamirezThe Santurce Crabbers were able to beat a pesky Criollos team 84-81. The Crabbers took a early lead in the game as the 1st quarter ended 23-18. At the half the Crabbers were still leading 41-37. The Crabbers had a 16 point lead at one point in the game but the Criollos would not give up and came back to tie the game at 80 with two free throws from Angel Vasallo. It was Ricardo Dalmau who gave the lead once again with two free throws to seal the victory for the Crabbers. For Santurce Larry Ayuso (190-G-77, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: USC) scored 24 points followed by Ali Berdiel and Ricardo Dalmau both with 16 points. For Caguas, Jose Perez scored 20 points followed by Angel Vasallo with 19 points.

Over at Cabo Rojo the Mayaguez Indians got their second victory as they beat the winless Conquistadors 82-77. For the Indians with was James Maye with 26 points to lead all players in the game followed by Giovanni Jimenez with 15 points. For Guaynabo, Lee Benson and Gabriel Mouneke both scored 19 points.

Last games (5) - Bayamon jumps to 4-0 - by Eurobasket NewsGuaynabo - Mayaguez 77-82Mayaguez grabbed nice 82-77 win against Guaynabo improving to 2-2 record. James Maye (201-G-81, college: NC-Greensboro) was a key player in victory collecting 26 points and 8 rebounds. Giovanni Jimenez also had important role scoring 15 pts. On the other side, Lee Benson had 19 pts and 14 boards for Guaynabo (0-2).

San German - Humacao 83-84Ansel Guzman (175-G-84, agency: Paris Global Sports), who scored 18 points and handed out 6 assists, paced Humacao to tiny 84-83 victory against San German. It is the first win of the season for Humacao (1-2). Argentinean Ruben Wolkowisky collected 20 points and 7 rebounds for San German, who also has 1-2 now.

Santurce - Caguas 84-81The Santurce Crabbers were able to beat a pesky Criollos team 84-81. The Crabbers took a early lead in the game as the 1st quarter ended 23-18. At the half the Crabbers were still leading 41-37. The Crabbers had a 16 point lead at one point in the game but the Criollos would not give up and came back to tie the game at 80 with two free throws from Angel Vasallo. It was Ricardo Dalmau who gave the lead once again with two free throws to seal the victory for the Crabbers. For Santurce Larry Ayuso (190-G-77, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: USC) scored 24 points followed by Ali Berdiel and Ricardo Dalmau both with 16 points. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Luis Ramirez

Ponce - Bayamon 76-78Last night the Vaqueros bea the Ponce Leones on a very tight game 78-76 before 4.000 fans at the Ruben Rodriguez Arena,it was an even game all game long,the Vaqueros commanded by Monti wilson who scored 24p.and capture 12reb,put the Vaqueros on the run at all times, due to the impression of the Ponce Leones that came with alow start on the first quater,but later the Leones assume they roll on the court making a very difficult one for the Vaqueros, *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Harry Rodriguez

Cholet eked out a dramatic win over Triumph to enter the EuroChallenge Final. Claude Marquis (204-F/C-80) came up with 20 points and 7 boards to lead the French team to the victory. Vincent Vincent Grier (195-G/F-83, college: Minnesota), Nando de Colo and Kevin Braswell (188-G-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Georgetown) scored 5 points in the dying seconds to ensure a tough success for Cholet. Kevin Braswell netted 19 points for the French outfit. Ernest Bremer (196-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: St.Bonaventure) poured in 20 points for Triumph. Ognjen Askrabic (207-C/F-79) had 13 points and 7 boards in the losing case.The first Semifinal game brought a lot of interest and honestly both teams deserved a Final. The Russian team won the opening quarter 23-19 as Vyaltsev nailed three with a buzzer. The French team played a bit better in the second period and reduce the gap to 41:43 as De Colom sent the teams to the lockers. Even though Cholet won the third frame 18-12, the teams showed a real thriller in the last quarter. Triumph's Fedor Dmitriev connected from three-point land with to knot the contest at 74:74. Kevin Braswell made both for a four-point lead and Cholet held on for the victory. Cholet will face Bologna team in the Final of Eurochallenge that lived up to the expectations of the fans that gathered to support the team holding off AEL in the second semifinal matchup of the day. Sharrod Ford notched 18 points and 13 boards to lead Bologna. Earl Boykins had 15 points as the Italian team reached the title decider. Goran Nikolic responded with 15 points for AEL. Haris Mujezinovic and Quincy Taylor added 13 points each in the loss.

Vojvodina - FMP 82-77Second consecutive win for Vojvodina in Superleague, against mostly owing to Marko Sutalo (194-G-83) who nailed 21 points (5 triples). Charron Fisher also had very important role collecting 19 points and 11 rebounds. FMP got 17 pts from Nemanja Protic. Both teams now have 2-3 record in Group A.

Crvena Zvez. - Hemofarm 81-76Valuable home win for Crvena Zvezda, who jumped on top of Group B with 4-1 record. Hemofarm has the same numbers, but ‘just' plus 3 from the first game vs Zvezda. Andre Owens (192-G-80, college: Houston) and Marko Marinovic scored 21 pts each in victory. Hemofarm got 15 points from Miljan Pavkovic and 14 pts, plus 6 rebs from Boban Marjanovic.

Epic Misel - Nova Gorica 59-76Gorica in first quarter the made an 11-2 run to take the control of the game. Marko Marcetic (186-G-79) posted 22 points, Vlado Pasalic 15, Dejan Cikic 12 and Habib Ademi grabbed 10 rebounds. Epic shot just 29-percent (19-of-65) from the field including 3-of-27 from the downtown. David Moro scored 16 points and Vjeran Soldo collected 14 points and14 rebounds. (by Zeljko Zule)

Melilla - Burgos 87-77Very important win for Melilla, who has the same score as Alicante (22-9, 3rd place). Keith Waleskowski (204-C/F-80, college: Dayton) once again was in a game mood collecting 21 points and 7 rebounds (23 minutes). Diego Lo Grippo had 16 points for the guests.

Alicante - Gandia Basq. 85-79Alicante outplayed Gandia 85-79 remaining on the second place in LEB Gold, with the same record as Melilla (22-9). Martynas Andriuskevicius (219-C/F-86, agency: Interperformances) led the scorers in victory with 16, while Kyle Hill had one point less. Zach Morley and Jason Robinson combined 46 points in the loosing squad.

Plus Pujol - La Laguna 101-8516-15 for Plus Pujol and 14-17 for La Laguna after this game. Ondrej Starosta (215-C-79) shined for the hosts nailing 27 points and pulling down 9 rebounds. Jason Detrick was on fire on the other side - 34 pts.

PY, KKL battling No. 4 playoff seed - by Chris WangAs the regular season is approaching the final week, the battle of the number four seed is down to the wire with Pure Youth (13-14) leading one game and a half over Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor (KKL, 12-16).

PY's next three opponents will be Taiwan Beer, Taiwan Mobile and Yulon. KKL will face TB and TM in the remaining games. Looks like the No. 4 seed is PY's to lose, but anything can happen on the basketball court.

There's no question throughout the whole season that Dacin (22-6), Yulon (20-6) and Taiwan Beer (17-10) will be the top three seeds. It's just the matter of ranking. As for now the defending champ is locked up at No.3 while Dacin leads Yulon by one game.

Yulon and Dacin will fight for the top seed because, obviously, no one wants to face Taiwan Beer in the first round. And a regular season title means something. It seems Dacin is on the driver's seat to take the first regular season crown in team history. It faces Yulon tonight before playing BOT next week to conclude the 30-game regular season.

Yulon's quest to the No. 1 seed will be much difficult. Tonight's game vs. Dacin is a must-win for them. And they have to play three games in three days next week.

Back to the action this week. Chang Yu-lin's layup with 1.7 seconds left helped PY to a 69-67 comeback win over BOT, which led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter. PY rallied in the final quarter 18-8.

Dacin routed PY 81-62 Saturday for a team-record 7-game winning streak. On the same day, Lin Chih-chieh committed a fatal turnover in the last possession as Taiwan Beer lost to TM, 87-83. Bank of Taiwan once again lost a 13-point lead, losing 90-83 to KKL in overtime after a 42-29 first half.

Manning elected President! - by Albert-Lee YoungA new era for basketball in Trinidad & Tobago was initiated.

After months of uncertainty Brian Manning, son of Prime Minister Patrick Manning, was elected President of the National Basketball Federation of Trinidad & Tobago at the Annual General Meeting held on Saturday 25th April at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation. Manning defeated his fellow candidate Courtney Mc Nish by two votes for the presidency.

Also elected were Mr. Earl Noel and Kelvin Roberts, who both retained their positions as the Vice President of Organization & Development and Secretary respectively. The other members of the Executive elected for the 2009-2011 term were new comers Conrad Pierre, Vice President of Finance; David Benjamin, Vice President of Technical & Training; Melonie Morton, Vice President of Communication & Marketing; and Lisa Gay-Ali, Assistant Secretary.

Following the much anticipated AGM, Mr. Manning extended thanks to the delegates and offered his commitment to working; and undertaking the responsibilities to perform to the best of his ability for the development of the sport.

Group B

Budivelnyk - Dnipro 83-66Budivelnyk toppled Dnipro in Kyiv for the fifth victory in Pool A. Denis Ikovlev (201-F-86, college: Nevada) led the charge with 17 points, while Pavelis Chukinas had 16 points for the winning team. The visitors answered with 21 points from Darnell Lazare.

Gryfony - Ferro-ZNTU 81-87Ferro-ZNTU upset Gryfony on the road and improved at 3-3 record in Group B. Laimis Kisielius (203-F-85, college: William & Mary) stepped up with 19 points to pace balanced offense for the visitors. Aleh Kojenets had 15 points in the victory. Nikola Bulajic responded with 25 points for Gryfony as they slipped at 1-6 record.

Montevideo in the only Metro leader - by Hector LopezMontevideo is only Metropolitan League leader, with a 3-0 record, after beating Welcome 79-69, in the opening games for the third round. The best scorer for Montevideo Marques Lewis (203-F-83, college: UAB) scored 29 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, to get a 43 ranking, and Joaquin Osimani (193-F-87) netted 19 and Juan Andres Cambon (180-G-88) had 9 assists. For Welcome, Ollie Bailey (201-F-85, college: Oklahoma City) netted 19 points, Federico Haller (198-F-88) grabbed 10 rebounds. Both teams are the main candidates to win the two promotions for the Uruguayan League 2010. In another game Larre Borges defeated Capitol 89-76. Renzo Lazzaroni (186-G-85) netted 22 points and Roberto Amaro (197-F-69) added 13 abnd took 12 rebounds. For Capitol Aram Tavokjian (191-G-82) netted 28.

A Superleague Round: 2 (Finals) - by Eurobasket NewsSpartak V MR - UMMC 86-67Spartak Moscow Region tied the series over UMMC after 86:67 in the first home game. Diana Taurasi (182-G-82, college: Connecticut) led the winners with 20 points, while Bird Sue nailed 18. Jones Asjha ended up with 16 points in the losing effort.

*****************************************************

SLOVAKIA - Women

Maxima Broker won Extraliga Championship 2009 - by Eurobasket Maxima Broker is 2008-09 Extraliga Champion after they crush MBK Ruzomberok 89-43 in the last game and swept final series 3-0.The team from Kosice extended their perfect championship record after they won all titles since 2004 and for the same number of year they always beat in the final MBK Ruzomberok...Kosice did not have any problems since the very beginning of the game when in 3 minutes after second 3-pointer they were already 6-0 ahead.After 12 minutes the result was 35-12 and the game was practically over.MBK tried to catch up and they came a little closer to 43-29.But then Maxima Broker players took back the control and carried comfortable lead for the rest of game.

Perfumerias joins Ros Casares in the final - by Eurobasket NewsHalcon A.Per. - Rivas Ecopolis 75-61Perfumerias recovered after shocking 0-1 at the beginning of the play-off semifinals. Le'Coe Willingham (183-C-81, college: Auburn) and her teammates managed to grab two consecutive wins after that joining Ros Casares in the big LFB final. Willingham led the scorers in victory today netting 16 points. Anke De Mondt (180-F/G-79) followed her with 15 points and 6 rebounds. On the other side, Roneeka Hodges answered with 17 pts.